1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system for mounting and installing photovoltaic solar panels, and more particularly, to a mounting support system that can support photovoltaic solar panels manufactured by different vendors.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the continual rise in conventional energy costs, photovoltaic solar panels (“PV panels”) are increasingly becoming cost competitive with other means of energy generation. These PV panels are being installed in sites of high energy usage such as on commercial building rooftops, in industrial open areas, and even on reclaimed wasteland. These energy systems, or power plants, vary in size but can cover many thousands of square feet on a building rooftop and many acres of land when installed on the ground. Ground mounted systems are especially attractive for large commercial power-generating installations, and locations with large available open space.
However, such large solar arrays require a sufficiently strong support structure to support not only the weight of the array, but to also provide sufficient resistance to wind forces. Tightly spaced panels effectively form a large surface area, which could result in damage to the panels, the support structure, or both, under strong wind conditions. In addition, these systems must accommodate a range of surface types and conditions, including grassy fields, bare earth, cement slabs, and gravel or crushed rock. These PV panel mounting structures must respond to the site conditions present, including following surface contours such as hills and valleys, earth that is difficult to drill or bore into, and they must withstand all possible weather conditions for a given location.
As a result, most ground mounted solar arrays are effectively custom designed for each installation. Factors considered include how many PV panels are to be used, what configuration of PV panels will generate the most power for a given site, what the annual weather patterns are, and how strong local wind conditions may be. Based on this information, the size of the mounting system is determined, such as, for example, the size of the necessary support rails, brackets and posts.
Most PV panels are formed with an aluminum frame around the panel, with mounting holes in the aluminum frame, on the back of the panel. The actual dimensions of the PV panels vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some PV panels are rectangular, while others have a more square aspect ratio. As a result, the location of the mounting holes varies depending on the manufacturer and the specific product. Thus, the designer of the mounting structure must also first know the exact model of PV panel to be used, in order to design an appropriate mounting structure. For mounting hardware manufactures, this may require the design of many different mounting brackets, increasing the costs associated with tooling and inventory control.
Alternatively, some support structure configurations use special “clips” to clip the solar panels onto the supporting rails. In one form, the clips may have a “T-shaped” slot that interfaces with a complementary rail. The clips slide onto the rail and are positioned in between the panels to secure the edges of the panels to the support rail. However, this requires that the clips be slid onto the rail from the ends of the rail. If a PV panel is defective and/or damaged and needs to be replaced, it is difficult to only remove a single panel. This type of mounting system also often requires extensive on-site placement, measurement, and adjustment on the part of the system installers. Moreover, these clips do not utilize the manufacturers' mounting holes, and therefore the installations may not meet the manufacturers' installation guidelines and/or invalidate warranties.
Thus, it would be desirable to have a mounting system for solar panel arrays that is adaptable to different sized PV panels, but that utilizes each panel's mounting holes.